Professional-Family Communication in a Children’s Psychosocial Care Center: Practicalities and Difficulties

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the perceptions of the family members of users of a children’s psychosocial care center, regarding the facilitating factors and the difficulties in the communication with the health professionals. Method: a qualitative and descriptive study conducted with 25 family members of users of a children’s psychosocial care center in a city of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Data collection took place between April and July 2017 using focus groups and a semi-structured script for the implementation of group sessions. Data was analyzed according to content analysis, thematic category. Results: two categories emerged from the analysis: Professional-Family relationship and Suggestions to enhance communication, which included practicalities and difficulties in communication. The data showed that the professional-family relationship refers to the professionals’ positive actions, which facilitate communication, and to their negative actions, which means offering a distant and dehumanized care and failing to provide guidance. The suggestions to enhance communication were directed to the interventions focused on the family and on the dynamics and management of the service. Conclusion: there is a need for collaboration among management, staff and family members, which can contribute to a better health care and to building more solidary and dialogical relationships.

Comunicação entre profissionais e familiares durante internação de recém-nascidos e lactentes: revisão integrativa [Communication between professionals and family members during hospitalization of newborns and infants: an integrative review] [La comunicación entre los profesionales y los familiares durante la hospitalización de los recién nacidos y los lactantes: revisión integradora]

“…A compreensão e a comunicação influenciam diretamente no enfrentamento da hospitalização de filhos. Profissionais devem ampliar o foco das temáticas que permeiam a comunicação junto aos familiares, considerando não somente a assistência e o diagnóstico, mas as necessidades de cada família no cuidado do filho hospitalizado, contribuindo na interação profissional-familiar 25 .…”